“My gods, kroshka. You look beautiful.”
My cheeks reddened, and I ducked my chin in embarrassment. As my eyes lowered, I took in his outfit. He wore thick leather pants that looked relatively new, not like the well-worn ones I’d seen him in before. Topped with a crisp, deep maroon shirt and a long, asymmetrical coat, I was impressed with how well he’d cleaned up.
“You will make my brat proud by wearing our house colors.”
Hearing him talk about Olezka suddenly reminded me of the missing, mysterious brother. Though this was probably a bad time to bring it up, I decided to take advantage of the opening.
“Will any more of your family be here?”
Timur’s features pinched for a moment as he scanned the crowds.
“Nyet. You know Roman does not care for the fae. He does not return to this world unless he is visiting our parents, and my parents live on the outskirts of this land. They will not come for Oidhche Dorcha.”
“What does Oidhche Dorcha mean?”
“It is… longest night? Nyet. Darkest Night. That is the American translation.”
“How many languages do you speak?” I asked curiously.
“Vosem'- Eight.”
I think my jaw dropped a little.
“My brat knows at least twelve. I am behind, but he has worked at Erebus’s side much longer than I have.”
How old are these guys? I was almost afraid to learn the answer because it never occurred to me to ask before. Olezka looked like he was in his late twenties, maybe pushing thirty, but Timur spoke as if they were much older than that.
“Um, Timur… how old are you?” I narrowed my eyes.
Instead of answering, he barked a laugh loud enough to turn a few heads our way. Their gazes quickly shifted from me to Timur before turning away, disgust curling their lips. I felt safer with Timur at my side.
“What are we laughing about?” Ana asked, holding two flutes of what looked like champagne.
“Careful with that dandelion wine, little halfling,” Timur said with a soft, gentle tone, unlike the others who spat the title. “It is much stronger than little kroshka can handle.”
“Hey!” I said, thinking back to the night he found me at Nova, drugged out of my mind. That was a different situation, which he knew.
“That is not what I meant. Fae wine is meant to transport humans into an inebriated state as quickly as possible, which is why it is stronger than any spirit you may have tasted before. Now, quiet,” he chided, taking the flute from Ana that was intended for me.
Everyone’s eyes were riveted to the back when Erebus stood, Olezka moving swiftly to his side. My breath got caught in my throat at the first sight of my mate. Olezka looked so handsome. His hair had been trimmed and combed away from his face, his normal scruff shaven to reveal smooth cheeks. While I preferred his five o’clock shadow, I couldn’t help but appreciate the clean-cut version of him.
His clothing was similar to Timur’s, but his looked newer, a little more polished. Or maybe the difference was the person who filled out the suit. At the sight of my mate, all of my second thoughts flew out the window. Eventually, I knew my mind would come back to them, but tonight, in enemy territory, I wanted to cling to who I knew and trusted—my version of Olezka.
Erebus started to speak, but it was in a language I couldn’t even begin to discern.
Timur leaned down to translate for me and Ana. “He is welcoming everyone to the darkest night, a time when Dark fae are at the height of their power, a time for renewal of power. He is introducing the return of his right hand, Olezka, and now he is wishing us all a pleasant evening.” He paused, looking pointedly at us. “You two will be returned to your room by midnight. After that, trust me when I say you do not want to be caught outside with the fae. Now, I must go join them.” Timur bowed before he left.
Ana snorted and shook her head then took another long sip of her drink. She licked her lips and passed it over to me.
“It’s really good. Give it a small sip, though, because yeah, I can feel it already.”
I shook my head but decided a teensy sip might help to alleviate the tightness in my chest. As if orchestrated by an unseen hand, the music changed to a slower beat, and the suspended candles took on a purplish hue. My anxiety kicked up another notch when I lost sight of Olezka, and I took a more than healthy sip of wine. It tasted like honey and went down a little too easily.
Just then, a handsome fae came up to Ana and bowed slightly. “Would you honor me with this dance?” His voice came out like melted butter, smooth and rich.
Spider had instructed us that if someone asked us for a dance, Ana was honor-bound to say yes because she was unclaimed. Spider said that the fae would openly ignore the human. I wouldn’t have to fear any of them coming to ask me for a dance, which relieved me more than it should. Admittedly, I should have been offended.
“Of course,” Ana replied graciously. She took his hand, looking uncomfortable but willing to go along with it for the sake of propriety. I thought she was secretly afraid that Spider would pop out from somewhere and scold her for not following her lessons.
As Ana danced, I absentmindedly drank a little more of the wine.
“Wherever is your mate, human?” a deep voice asked. I turned and noticed the white-haired fae who had tried to come to Ana’s aid when she lost control of her Lure powers and then became hopelessly entangled himself. His name escaped me, but I smiled tightly up at the fae with the unnerving dark eyes.
“Oh, I’m sure he’s around here somewhere, doing his duty to his King.”
The fae smiled, but the movement lacked humor. “Hmm, I am sure he is trying to sniff you out. Come, let’s see if we can find him.”
He offered his arm, but I hesitated as alarm bells clanged loudly in my head. “No, thank you; I’d rather wait here until Ana is finished.”
Then, I started to wonder how he knew Olezka was my mate. It was possible he’d overheard our conversation with Timur. Olezka was trying to keep our status on the quiet side so I wouldn’t become a target, but on the off chance someone did ask me to dance, I needed to find him.
The fae grabbed my hand and tucked it into the crease of his elbow, tightening his grip. At the movement, my head spiked with a massive headache. I tried to pull out of his hold to grab my head, but the white-haired fae looked down at me and admonished, “Tsk, tsk, human. Stop doing that.”
When I stumbled from the pain and knocked into a Lower fae, he glared at me but cleared his features when they saw the High fae standing beside me.
“I’m sorry, milord.” The Lower fae averted his eyes and bowed deeply.
“No, I apologize. My human companion drank too much of the dandelion wine. You know how it affects their weaker systems. I was just taking her outside for some air.”
My head spun, and I squinted as my vision started to tunnel. I’d only had a few sips of the wine; then again Timur had warned us that it was more potent than anything we had in the human world. I tried to make sense of the world spinning around me.
“Olezka?” I called weakly.
“No, human.” He spat the word like a curse. “Your mutt won’t be coming to your aid this time. Come quickly now.”
He tugged me through one of the French doors that led to the gardens, and the cool night air brushed over my overheated skin. I sighed contentedly, my head already beginning to clear. When I realized who I was walking with, I tried to pull away again.
Alarm flared in my veins as I noticed we were alone. “I need to go back inside.”
“No, human, you do not.”
Key, his name is Key. The memory of his name struck me hard and fast at the same time pain as pierced my mind.
Blackness reigned.
Chapter 20
Olezka
Eagerness thrummed in my heart as I dressed in my formal attire. Oidhche Dorcha gave all of those who resided in the Dark fae Kingdom a boost of power, and my body practically vibrated with it. Not only that, bu
t Erebus promised I would have the evening with my mate, unguarded. In addition, we would return to the human realm by the end of the week, once the festival closed.
Tonight, with Sixx in my arms, I would sleep soundly for the first night since we’d arrived in the Veil. I had stolen her away from Tess without Erebus's knowledge the other day, and she remained with me as I finally relaxed enough to sleep for a couple of hours. Her scent still lingered, but it wasn’t enough. I needed her more than I needed the air in my lungs. While the High fae hunted tonight, she would be tucked away safely with me.
I was unable to spend time with Sixx as much as I would have liked, due to funneling my attention into the attacks. Since I couldn’t sleep anyway, I stayed up throughout the night to work. The fact that they seemed to be targeting me and my mate drove me to the brink of madness. My fingers twitched as I smoothed the dark fabric of my tunic, but I calmed, reminding myself I would see her tonight. Hold her.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of my room and headed into the hallway. Timur had been working hard to fill my position and find any trace of our missing brother. He had been gone for some time, but we didn’t give up on family. Roman had helped for a time, but after spending a couple of years in captivity with the fae, he hated the Veil and rarely came back. His mistrust and hatred of any High fae stemmed from those tumultuous years. Timur and I had taken too long to find him. I growled, frustrated with the situation.
Footfalls fell into step with my own. “You should try smiling. You will have your mate tonight after all.”
“Only after you took her, Erebus.” I was still pissed at my old friend, though he didn’t seem to have any remorse about it.
“Yes, well, tonight, you should pity me. While Sixx is with you, I will have the unfortunate responsibility of telling Ana her heritage.”
I paused while Erebus kept walking. He waved his hand at me.
“I can already hear your reasons for why this is a disastrous plan, but she needs to know. Tomorrow morning, we will be vulnerable. The fae who came in for the festivities will be leaving to return home, and we must be vigilant to ensure that no Light fae manage to slip in during the chaos. If they do, Ana needs to be aware of it.”
“What is the real reason, Erebus?” I asked, catching up to the only person I knew as well as my brothers. One I had considered a brother until a couple of decades ago.
Erebus rubbed the back of his neck in an uncharacteristic show of emotion. He had always been meticulous about keeping his emotions in check unless we were in private.
I barked out a short laugh. “What did she do?” I asked.
“How do you know she did anything?”
“I have worked with Anastasia, and her sister is my mate. She is as bold as they come. If she sees something she wants, she takes it.”
“She kissed me.”
“Da?”
“Yes.”
“You have kissed many fae in your lifetime. Nyet, many beings in your lifetime. What changes things now?”
Erebus stayed tight-lipped as we walked down the plush rugs that lined the halls on the way to the ballroom. We needed to be the first to arrive. Not only was it custom, but I wanted to check over the security before guests began to arrive. Erebus didn’t withhold information unless he was playing a longer game, and his silence reminded me of other questions he avoided.
My fists tightened, my canines already thick and elongated as my anger rose. “What are you keeping from me?”
“Many things, my brother.”
“Do not call me your brother when you keep things from me,” I snapped.
“Like you have never done it? What of the assassination attempt that almost left you dead? Or the time you battled your cousin because he was indebted to the Light? You know as well as I do that as King, it is my right to know everything!” Erebus yelled, his eyes darkening with his ire. Dynamic power flowed from him in thick waves. He often maintained absolute control of his thoughts and actions, but at the height of Oidhche Dorcha, he would be at his strongest, overwhelmed with power.
“This involves Sixx, which means it involves my heart. You do not understand.”
“Better than you know,” Erebus said miserably, calming down a fraction. He breathed in and then grabbed my shoulder. “Come, the walls have ears.”
We headed into a small office where Erebus shut the door behind us. He cast a barrier spell around the door and the rest of the room. Even when he finished, he kept his back to me.
“What did you mean?”
“I need to tell you something, but you need to remain calm. Tomorrow, you can rip my head off, but tonight, I have very little control as it is. I cannot suffer your loss of control as well as my own.”
“Da,” I agreed to his terms.
He turned and met my eyes. “Ana is my mate.”
“Are you certain?” I asked.
“Are you certain Sixx is yours?”
“You make a valid point,” I conceded. “Then, why steal Sixx? In doing so, you have only angered your mate.”
“This is the part where you must remain calm and remember that everything I do is for a reason.” Erebus held my gaze even as my inner fires rose. “I didn’t take Sixx. Someone else brought her here, and I’ve been having Timur look into it. I’d received rumors of a human being hunted by the Light fae, so I sent my guards to the border in case the human crossed. Imagine my surprise when I realized it was the short, curvy human who steals my right hand’s attention. Whether it was the intent of whoever brought her here to draw you or Anastasia, I do not know. For my part, I have kept Sixx’s status as your mate a mostly private affair.”
My body shook, and I had to take several deep breaths to control the flames that threatened to erupt from within me. “Why keep her here if you know she is in danger?”
“You know the answer to that,” Erebus answered placatingly. “It would be more dangerous to send her back.”
“Then, why not tell me? Her mate? Why keep her from me?”
“You know our politics better than most. You know the answer to all those questions. I must play this cursed game the same as you. Do you think I wanted my mate, who is half Light fae, to be here on one of our most powerful nights of the year? Can you imagine what some of the fae in my Court would do to her?” Erebus exploded, for once showing his true feelings for Anastasia.
He was just as afraid for her as I was for my mate. If others suspected Sixx was mine, she would be seen as a worthy bargaining tool, an easily manipulated one.
“They need to return to the human realm, Erebus. They are not safe here.”
Erebus looked away from me. “You will take them back tomorrow. It cannot be tonight; Ana and Sixx need to make an appearance. I made a mistake when I made a spectacle out of her being here. I had hoped it would entice you to remain, not sneak away into the night with her.”
“My mate is fiercely loyal. She would not leave Anastasia behind. She would have sooner fought me,” I declared, my chest swelling with pride. Every word I spoke was true.
“I cannot apologize for how I handled the situation, but I hope you will forgive me enough for the foresight I had. Because, my friend – someone is trying to get their hands on your mate.”
****
His warning rang in my mind as we stood in the ballroom with our hands clasped behind our backs, keeping the main entrance in my direct line of sight. The side doors would remain locked until just after midnight when the fae would begin their true festivities. Before Sixx, Oidhche Dorcha would have been a night when I would have escaped with my brats and run through the forest, causing mischief and mayhem. Tonight, I would spend it with my mate. Every instinct in my body screamed to find her and mark her as mine then whisk her away from this place. Only my honor and duty kept me bound tonight.
After his unexpected admission, I had a sliver of forgiveness for Erebus. He did the best he could for Sixx as embroiled as we were in the situation in which we found ourselves.
Trying not to twitch where I stood, I subtly craned my neck, searching for Sixx. My heart unfurled the moment I saw her. Her entrance might not have been grand to the others, but I was powerless to take my eyes off her.
Her hair shone in the low candlelight, the dress in my house colors beautifully tailored to her body and hinting at the luscious curves hidden beneath. The neckline was deep but wouldn’t reveal more than was intended. The seamstress, Esmeralda, would make sure of that, especially after I bribed her with a middle-level favor in exchange for creating a proper dress for my mate.
She wore my colors, which was another part of my bargain. Entirely selfish, but it also showed all of those in attendance that Sixx was under the protection of my house, at the very least. As such, only the truly foolish would touch her. At the sight of her lovely face, the breath was stolen from my lungs. I was mindless, enraptured as I was by her.
Erebus began the ritual speech that was an introduction to the festival and ceremony. Anastasia and Sixx stood with Timur, which eased my worry. After Erebus finished his speech, I would have to remain at the front while his Court greeted him and myself. Once that process was complete, I would find my mate and not leave her side for the rest of the night.
Even though the opening ceremony was short, it felt like years before I could be released. I finally managed to peel myself away from Erebus and searched the ballroom for Sixx. Anastasia twirled past me in the arms of a High fae who looked utterly pleased with himself for managing to snag a dance with her. I assumed most of the Dark Court fae knew she was half Light, but there were some who assumed her fair coloring came from her human parent.
She was considered forbidden fruit of which all of the males and females eagerly sought a taste. Erebus would need to be careful; otherwise, I feared he would be compelled to use his powers to attack any who tried to interfere with Anastasia. Which reminded me of my mate.
I needed her in my arms. Timur caught my eye from across the room. Since I’d seen him with my mate earlier, I headed over to him.
The Sidekick Chronicles: Sixx and the Fae Page 14